Compromise rail-joint.



l No. 790,608.

4 PATENTED MAY 23, 1905. B. WOLHAU'PTER. CMPROMISB RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.7,1905.

A fwmw UNITED STATESl Patented May 23, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

COMPROMISE RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,608, dated May 23, 1905.

Application led March 7,1905. -Serial No. 248,828. I

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, BENJAMIN WOLHAUPTER, a citizen 'of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compromise Rail-Join ts ka full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a compromise or step rail-joint for joining the ends of rails of different sizes/or dimensions, of that class embracing a base-plate for supporting the meet-v ing ends of the rails, a filling-plate which is interposed between one end of the base-plate and the superposed end of the smaller rail, and which is made of proper thickness to compensate for the difference in height of the two rails and joint-bars which are clamped to the 4opposite sides of the rails and the end portions of which have their bearing-surfaces laterally and vertically offset to correspond with the different dimensions of the rails.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is a side view of a rail-joint embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof with the central part thereof in horizontal section. Fig. 3 is acrosssection taken upon line 3 Bof Fig. 1. Fig- 4L is a cross-section taken upon line L1 4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a perspective .view of the lilling plate.

As shown in the drawings, A A' indicate ends and are clamped thereto by means of bolts E E.

The said base-plate B is provided at its outer margin with a raised longitudinal rib B', which forms an inwardly-facing shoulder against which bears the outer edge of the base-ange of the larger rail A and also the outer edge of the filling-plate C. Said filling-plate C, which rests upon the base-plate B with its outer margin in contact with the rib B', is provided at its outer margin with a raised longitudinal rib C', forming an inwardly-facing shoulder adapted for contact with the outer ma'rgin of the base-flange of the smaller rail A'. The base-plate is spiked to the ties and held thereby from lateral outward movement. Shifting of the end of the larger rail outward on the base-plate is prevented by contact ofthe base-flange of the rail with the rib B', while like outward shifting of the adjacent end of the smaller rail A' is prevented by contact of the base-flange thereof with the rib C' `of the filling-plate and by contact with the outer margin of said filling-plate with the rib B' on the base-plate.

In the particular construction shown in the drawings the base-plate B is longitudinally corrugated in form for the purpose of giving stiffness thereto and to afford elevated bearing-surfaces to support the rail ends and intermediate grooves or depressions to receive sand, grit, or cinders, and thereby prevent retention of the same between the base-plate and the rail ends and consequent wearing away of the parts. Said base-plate, as shown in the drawings, is provided with flat elevated relatively wide inner and outer marginal portions b which come beneath the side margins of the base-flanges of the rail and with an intermediate corrugated portion forming a plurality of flat-top bearing-surfaces 52 212, located in the same horizontal plane with the upper surfaces of the marginal parts b b' and forming also at bottom surfaces b3 b3,

which bear on the top surface of the ties. Outside of the inner elevated part the inner side margin of the base-plate is extended IOO adapted to also rest upon the ties. The rib B is formed at the edge of the outer elevated marginal part In the construction shown the joint-bars D D have the form of angle-bars adapted to fit at their upper margins against the under surfaces of the rail-heads and at their lower margins against the top surfaces of the base flanges of the rail. rIhe top and bottom bearing or contact surfaces of said joint-bars D and Dl at opposite sides of the said bars are offset vertically from each other, so as to correspond in position with the under surfaces of the rail-heads and the top surfaces of the baseflanges of the rails A and A. In thecase of the outer joint-bar D the same is also offset laterally at its ends to correspond with the outer faces of the rails, as shown in Fig. 2. The inner joint-bar D is substantially straight to correspond with the inner side faces of the railheads, which are in alinement with each other.

In the form of joint illustrated the outer joint-bar D has the form of an angle-plate and is provided at its lower margin with a fiange D2, which extends outwardly over the base-anges of the rail ends and downwardly outside of the side margins of said baseflanges and which terminates in an inwardlyextending horizontal flange d. Said horizontal ange CZ is adapted to extend beneath the adjacent elevated marginal part b of the baseplate. The lower surface of said horizontal flange d is, moreover, made iiush with the bottom or bearing surfaces b3 b2 of the baseplat'e, so that said horizontal iange d, constituting the base of the joint-bar D', is adapted to rest or bear upon the ties to which the base-plate is secured.

The base-plate B is shown as provid ed near its inner margin with two spike-holes B2 B2, through which may be driven spikes that serve both to hold the base-plate from outward movement on the ties and also to conline the outer edges of the base-flanges of the rails against the base-plate. The filling-plate C is provided in its inner edge with an aperture or notch c, adapted to receive the spike which passes through the spike-hole B2in the end of the base-plate on which the said fillingplate rests. Such holding-spikes when engaged with the notch c serve to hold the said filling-plate from sliding or shifting endwise on the base-plate, and thus getting out of its position beneath the rail. The outer jointplate D is shown as provided at the outer margin of its liange D2 with an outwardlyextending rib d', forming ahorizontal eXtension of the flange CZ and provided with notches D3 D3 for engagement with spikes which serve both to aid in holding parts, constituting the joint, against or in contact with the ties and to aid in hold ing the rails from outward movement on the ties.

A principal feature of my invention is embraced in the construction by which the baseplate is provided with an inwardly-facing longitudinal shoulder against which laterally bears the base-flange of the larger rail and also the filling-plate and on which said iillingplate is provided with a like longitudinal inwardly-facing shoulder against which bears the outer margin of the base-flange of the smaller rail. The advantage gained by this construction is that the ends of the rails are thereby reliably and certainly held from lateral movement under the outward stress or pressure which comes thereon by the action of the car-wheels, it being understood that the rails are by the construction described positively held from outward movement on the base-plate and that the latter is iirmly spiked to the ties.

An important feature of the joint described is the notch or aperture in the iilling-plate C, by which the latter may be engaged by one of the holding-spikes, and thereby held in place on the base-plate o1` restrained from shifting from its position beneath the end of the smaller rail. In this connection it is to be noted that if the filling-plate be made wider than illustrated the said notch or aperture in the filling-plate will be formed in the plate instead of at the edge thereof, the result in either case being that the filling-plate is held bythe spike engaged therewith from endwise movement and also from movement laterally away from the longitudinal shoulder of the base-plate. The said filling-plate C is shown as provided in its bottom surface with longitudinal grooves c' c', preferably spaced to correspond with the grooves in the top of the base-plate B, so that the bearing-surfaces between said grooves c' c will rest or bear on the elevated parts or ridges of the base-plate. The grooves c c serve to make the fillingplate lighter in weight without lessening its eiiiciency as a support for the rail which rests thereon.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination with rails of different sizes, of a base-plate provided with a longitudinal inwardly-facing shoulder against which bears the base-flange of the larger rail, and a filling-plate resting on said base-plate in contact with said shoulder, said filling-plate being provided at its outer margin with a longitudinal, inwardly-facing shoulder against which bears the base-ange of the smaller rail.

2. The combination with rails of different sizes, of a base-plate provided with a longitudinal inwardly-facing shoulder, a filling-plate resting on said base-plate in contact with said shoulder, said filling-plate being provided with a longitudinal inwardly-facing shoulder, and a joint-plate provided with a flange which cxtends outwardly over the base-flanges of the rails, and having an inwardly-directed horizontal iange extending beneath the adjacent margin of the base-plate.

3. The combination with rails of different IOO IIO

sizes, of a base-plate provided at its outer edge with an elevated marginal part and with a longitudinal inwardly-facing shoulder, a fillingplate resting on said base-plate with its outer marginin Contact with said shoulder, said lilling-plate being provided at its said outer margin with a longitudinal inwardly-facing shoulder, and a joint-plate provided with a flange which extends outwardly over the base-flanges of the rails and having at its lower margin an inwardly-directed horizontal liange'extending beneath the elevated marginal part of the basep ate.

4. The combination witht rails of different sizes, of a base-plate and a filling-plate resting on said base-plate beneath the smaller rail, said filling-plate being provided with an aperture for engagement with a spike.

5. The combination with rails of different sizes, of a base-plate provided with a longitudinal inwardly-facing shoulder, and a fillingplate resting on said base-plate in Contact with said shoulder and provided with a notch for engagement with a spike.

6. The combination with rails of different sizes, of a base-plate provided with a longitudinal inwardly-facing shoulder, and a fillingplate resting on said base-plate in Contact with said shoulder and provided at its outer margin with'a longitudinal inwardly-facing shoulder, and at its inner marginy with an aperture for engagement with a holding-spike.

7 The combination with i'ailsof different sizes, of a base-plate provided at its outer margin with a longitudinal, inwardly-facing shoulder, a filling-plate resting on saidv base-plate with its outer margin in contact with said shoulder,and provided at its outer margin with a longitudinal, inwardly-facing shoulder, said base-plate being provided near its inner margin with spike-holes, and the filling-plate being provided in its inner margin with an aperture for engagement with a spike driven through one of said spike-holes.

8. The combination with rails of different sizes, of a base-plate, and a filling-plate rest-y ing lonsaid base-plate beneath the smaller rail, said filling-plate being longitudinally grooved on its bottom surface.

In testimony that I elaim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 2d day of March, A. D. 1905. .Y

. I Witnesses:

G. B. WILKINs, l H. Gr. BARRETT. 

